What We've Become
by beautywhispers
Summary: Based on the story The Hard Way To Learn A Lesson. It's all about knocking some sense into people. No one can succeed alone. All Human, Alternate Universe. OneShot for now; review if you want it to continue. Warning : Spanking. non-sexual.


**Disclaimer : All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. **

**A/N: This is my first attempt at an All Human story. This is based on the story ****The Hard Way To Learn A Lesson,**** so go read that first. It's an awesome story.**

_Carlisle's POV_

Esme opened the door to let yet another girl in. I was pretty sure he was looking for Edward, since she wore heavy makeup and a short skirt. Despite the fact Bella's only been over for a few days, I knew that Lauren Mallory wasn't in her group of friends.

And by what Alice said, it seems that her only friend at the moment was my little daughter that just came back from boarding school. She was annoyed, to say for the very least, but mostly she misses the old Edward that she loved.

Esme said to the girl I now knew as Lauren Mallory, "C'mon in honey. Edward's right up."

"Thank you, Mrs. Cullen," she replied politely and walked into the door towards the stairs.

I stepped in. "Actually Lauren, Edward and I have some plans today. Maybe you can come back another time," I said, to save the innocent girl from a couple nights of tears that _my_ son would cause.

"Oh, of course," she said while trying to hide her disappointment, "I'm sorry for interrupting Dr. Cullen. You two have a good time." Still trying to make a good impression. When will these girls learn that they'll only get their hearts shattered? I've had enough.

She waved goodbye to my wife, who has a very puzzled look on her face. Usually when a prostitute like girl came up on our door I wouldn't even bat an eyelash when they sprinted up the stairs and stayed for the night.

When the door shut and the car in our driveway pulled away, I turned to look at Esme.

"Look at what he does to those girls! I thought it was just a phase, but I think 2 years of breaking peoples' hearts is a little too long," I told her. She nodded.

"Carlisle, honey. I think it's time you stepped in? Get him on the right track again. I heard him playing the piano last night. Edward just needs a little push. And with Bella here as his "wife"…" she stopped talking.

I sighed. I hated doing this, but it's been a little too long, anyway. "Now, Esme?" I asked, wary thick in my voice.

"Why not now? Alice is giving Bella a makeover, she won't pay attention. Not that she would say anything if she heard or saw what was happening. Bella's very kind," she explained the obvious.

"You're right. I'll be back soon," and then I kissed her on the cheek and started walking up the stairs.

_Edward's POV_

I can't believe Lauren showed up at our house. Sure, I gave her my address, which is somewhat like inviting her over, but everyone knows that Bella is over for the next three weeks, and they should know better than to just randomly drop by my home. It wasn't my fault. At least Bella didn't see.

Bella… she didn't try to be like the other girls. She didn't try to bed me randomly. But it was really me who slept with any girl that caught my eye. _Bella _caught my eye.

Then I heard a knock on my door. I lifted my eyes off the book we were studying for English and looked at my father who was standing at my door with a very disappointed and annoyed look on his face.

I was in trouble. My dad didn't get angry with me much, despite the horrors I get myself into. Extremely forgiving was an understatement. It was a shock that he didn't do anything but ground me for two weeks for smoking cigarettes.

He kept looking at me, expecting me to say something. I quickly jot my eyes back down to the book I wasn't reading. I had better things to worry about that grades and English class.

I heard footsteps on the thick carpet that my mom put in. He sat down beside me on the lounge. The book got taken away from my hands and placed on the table beside me and I decided to focus on my fingernails instead.

Fingers on my chin pushed my head up; I was forced to meet his eyes. I couldn't help but glare or scowl, I couldn't tell at that time.

Dad finally started speaking. "Why did this girl in a tight shirt and fishnet stockings show up at my home asking for you?" he accused. I was going to get it this time. My voice was silent.

"Edward, did you invite Lauren over while Bella was here?" he whispered.

I shook my head in denial, but quickly regretted it. "I mean, I gave her our address a long time ago, and I completely forgot about it. I didn't know she was just going to randomly show up in the middle of the day and…" I didn't know what to say; I was running out of excuses.

"So you just give random girls your address and not expect them to show up at random times? I know you're not that naïve, Edward!" he was losing his patience, which was very rare. I didn't like making my dad angry, much less disappointed.

"Yeah, well… everyone at school knows that Bella and I are "married" at the moment, I didn't expect someone to just drop by…" I looked at my hands again, but my head was pushed up by a couple of strong fingers.

"You can't expect everyone in the school to know everything about you. Even though the school is small, not every girl wants to _know_ you. Sure, they want to get in your pants," he paused as my face reddened. "But, they practically use you like you use them."

The words pierced right through me. They hurt, all right. But it was true. Nothing but the truth. I was a player, but so were all the girls that I've been with. They just went crying to their friends after they took their "morning after pill."

"Remember the consequences after you had that whisky drinking contest with Emmett when you were 12 and you got drunk and broke one of your mother's favourite lamps?" he said, bringing back memories. I was confused at the quick change of topic, and then I understood.

"Dad, c'mon. I'm seventeen! That's way too old for a spanking!" I exclaimed and pleaded at the same time. What was even stranger was that he was actually thinking about it.

"You're right," he said and I let out a quiet sigh of relief that I hoped he didn't hear, "give me your belt." My dad, the pacifist, was planning to _whip_ me. I shuddered. I knew he was willing to put down a bet of 25 000 dollars that I wouldn't give him the heavy piece of leather that held up my pants.

If I stay the "bad boy" for another month, I won't have enough credits to graduate, much less get into a good school. After all the girls leave for college, I would be stuck here in forks, working at the gas station. Sure, I didn't want someone beating my ass with a belt, but I didn't want to be stuck with a minimum wage job for the rest of my life either.

I undid my belt and took it out of the loops and passed it to my father. His eyes showed shock, and I bet he was resisting the urge to let his jaw drop. Then I did something I wouldn't have ever done.

I dropped my pants and bent over the couch we were sitting on to accept the punishment I knew I deserved.

"Thank you, Edward. For letting this happen without a fuss," he whispered.

He put his hand on my back to hold me down, and I saw the belt fall in front of me. Thank god he wasn't going to use that. No doubt that Alice would hear it and tell it to the world and get me kicked out of my own gang.

"Dad?" I whispered as I hid my face into my arms.

"Mhm?"

"I'm sorry," I said and he rubbed my back before he delivered the first smack. I gasped. Who know a hand could hurt so much? The pain rained down shamelessly, and after ten burning strokes, I was sobbing.

I didn't speak; I knew that my cries hurt him enough. I was actually grateful that Lauren did show up, despite the fact that it would keep me from sitting for a couple of days. I was just like Bella, once upon a time.

I had straight A's and the teachers loved me. I would go to my dad if I did anything wrong, and accept whatever punishment he thought was reasonable with grace.

It was usually a grounding for a week or two, but I usually got away with it with no consequences at all, just because I admitted my faults.

I hated the fact that it also hurt him—both physically and emotionally—to discipline me.

I couldn't help but plead. "Dad," I sobbed, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I said over and over again. Then they just decreased down to quiet sobs that I tried to mute out.

It was already twenty minutes since the spanking started, and he still hasn't switched to a hairbrush or the belt. I was sure it hurt his hand a lot. Before I knew it, the smacks stopped. I was still sobbing and father was breathing hard. He quickly pulled me into an embrace and rubbed my back to comfort me. I laid my head on his shoulder, covering my eyes. My jeans were tangled at my ankles.

It's been so long that I've been this close to my father; I didn't realize that I was almost as tall as him now, if you ignored the wild mess I call hair. I cried openly, and we stood there for probably ten minutes that felt like forever.

I pulled back and pulled up my pants and winced at the contact.

"Edward," he started, "I don't want you to be afraid to do whatever with girls. I don't want you to judge them by their looks, or how much clothing they wear. And I especially don't want you with a girl while a girl—who is not your sister—is staying at the house for a long period of time."

"I'm not ready to… return to being who I used to be." I tried to make the words sound right.

"I'm not asking you to. Just think about where you want to go after high school. I spanked you because I felt that what you do to those girls is very wrong. And for it to go on for so long and no girl has slapped you across the cheek yet, I thought I would knock some sense into you," my dad joked. And I couldn't help but laugh.

"Thanks, dad. For y'know. Being so easy on me for the past year or two," I was embarrassed to admit.

All he did was laugh and ruffle my hair like he did when I was little. "Dinner in thirty minutes, Edward. You haven't sat down at the table in a long time; I'm expecting you to stay tonight," he said before he shut the door.

I sat back down on my lounge and quickly bounced backed up. I rubbed my posterior self-consciously. Sometimes I needed reminders of who I was, who I am, just to see who I will be.


End file.
